NANA sent out this email earlier today. I’ll let it speak for itself:
Lotteries announcement – no surprises – let’s watch the leopard change its spots
The announcement earlier this afternoon from Tabcorp/Tatts Group Lotteries comes as no surprise. The competitive pressure caused by alternate online wagering products, in NANA’s opinion, is having an impact on the shoddy treatment that Tabcorp/Tatts Group has dished out to lotteries franchisees for too long.Remember, Tabcorp/Tatts Group is currently and has been for some time, directly competing against lotteries franchisees in the online space. Their 31 December 2017 financial reports emphasise they had already achieved 16 1/2% of total sales online. There is every likelihood that figure is now higher as their attempts to redirect sales to online continue.
NANA is not sure how “the Lott” can do anything regarding a remuneration model. “the Lott” doesn’t have any commercial relationships with Newsagents in NSW and ACT. “the Lott” is a branding exercise. In NSW and ACT your lotteries franchise is with NSW Lotteries Corporation Pty Ltd.
Just about every day the outlet survey program interrupts your business and raises often insignificant and almost pointless matters which require correction. NANA received a referral from a Member Newsagent today. His shop was visited by a NSW Lotteries area manager on the day before a site survey inspection. The area manager said all was good. The survey resulted in a breach notice. If the full time staff of NSW Lotteries cannot get things right, why should Newsagents then be disadvantaged? The survey staff are not Newsagents or lotteries agents. Many appear to be part-time students or backpackers. NANA recently had cause to request that one surveyor be taken off the account – they turned up in joggers, tracksuit pants, a t-shirt and baseball cap. The only thing missing was the “hoody”. The same surveyor refused to correctly identify themselves. Surveyors are taking photographs of your shop which are in direct contravention of the method specified on Retailers Web. Their habit of taking a panoramic photograph from each of the corners of your shop gives them a total floor plan. This is a security issue. It is also in direct contravention of the stated standard from NSW Lotteries. They know it, NSW Lotteries know it, but nothing changes.
The strong identification by Tatts Group of one newsagency group is clear evidence that the “quid pro pro” for blindly supporting Tatts Group’s $5M campaign to deny Newsagents of another income stream is being delivered. Unless you as a lotteries outlet are prepared to turn your terminal off or starve Tatts Group of income from sales, collective bargaining under the guise of an ACCC endorsement is a ruse.
Neither Tatts Group Lotteries, Tabcorp nor NSW Lotteries Corporation Pty Ltd creates public infrastructure like hospitals, schools and sporting groups. They bought a license from the NSW Government. They pay a license fee. If the NSW Government held onto the business themselves (like in Western Australia) they would still have the income. License fees are paid and the NSW Government accepts fees into consolidated revenue and then it decides how to spend the money, the same way as it decides how to spend any other money it receives. They could be using the money for anything, there is no way to tell.
Tatts Group and the other entities may donate money to good causes. That is different to what they claim. If they do donate, that’s good news.
How much aggro have the recent changes to Powerball caused you? They were warned but appear to have done nothing in advance to address obvious concerns raised by Newsagents..
How does a leopard suddenly change its spots.
NSW Lotteries Corporation Pty Ltd could have extended the moratorium on selling lotteries products in chain supermarkets. They have been asked to extend it by the NSW Government as a show of support for Newsagents and other lotteries outlets. There has not been an extension.
NANA looks forward to working with Tabcorp/Tatts Lotteries and NSW Lotteries Corporation as we enter a new age of positive engagement. NANA also looks forward to working closely with VANA, our sister organisation in Victoria as we work together to ensure that the largest combined block of Newsagents in Australia get a fair go from the lotteries franchisors.